1. Field of the Invention
A protective pot or container to protect electronic components disposed therein and to dissipate heat generated by operation of the electronic components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the increased demands for communications lines/links both above and underground, the need to boost transmission signals has occurred. As a result, additional electronic circuits and components have been introduced into the transmission systems. Since these electronic components need to be protected from the elements and environs, numerous protective shields or enclosures have been developed. The head generated by these electronic components confined by such enclosures have necessitated the development of efficient heat dissipating devices and techniques.
Unfortunately, many such systems are inefficient and therefore are of limited effectiveness, fail to adequately protect the sensitive electronic components or are simply too expensive for wide application and use. Thus, the need for an efficient, effective and relatively inexpensive protective device continues to exist.
The present invention relates to a protective pot or container comprising a cover assembly, a housing assembly and a base assembly to protect electronic components disposed therein from the environs and to dissipate heat generated by operation of the electronic components disposed therein into the environs.
The cover assembly selectively closes and seals the top of the housing assembly when attached to or mounted thereon.
The housing assembly comprises an outer protective housing frame including a plurality of walls with at least one inner heat conductive sleeve integrally formed therewith having an external heat sink operatively mounted to the housing assembly.
The inner heat conductive sleeve comprises a plurality of heat conductive panels including side members or walls and end members or walls of heat conductive material. The inner heat conductive sleeve and the outer protective housing frame are integrally formed by molding or pouring molten plastic or similar generally non-heat conductive material around the inner heat conductive sleeve such that the heat conductive panels are disposed in the interior of the outer protective housing frame with a heat conductive thermal coupler extending through the walls of the outer protective housing frame to the exterior of the outer protective housing frame to expose the outer surface of thermal coupler. The periphery of each heat conductive thermal coupler includes a mechanical anchor to form an integrated housing assembly with the outer protective frame. The exposed outer surface of the outer heat conductive thermal coupler is disposed in heat exchange relationship with a external heat sink.
The base assembly comprises a base member to secure or attach the base assembly to the housing assembly and a back plate attached to or mounted on the base member to support electronic components thereon and to selectively close the bottom of the housing assembly.
Each external heat sink constructed of thermally conductive material such as aluminum comprises a heat sink member disposed in heat transfer relationship with the outer heat conductive thermal coupler.
Thus, when the protective pot or container is fully assembled, heat generated by the electronic components disposed therein is transferred to the heat conductive panels and through the corresponding heat conductive thermal couplers to the corresponding external heat sinks and dissipated into the environs.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.